Best quarter sparks Sharks’ tourney victory
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sister Maria Pares has coached a lot of girls basketball teams in her tenure with Sacred Heart Academy but even she was amazed by her team’s first quarter performance against Frontier in the Fredonia Xpress Holiday Tournament finals on Friday.

The Sharks (8-0) outscored Frontier, 23-3, in the first quarter en route a convincing 44-24 win. Sacred Heart won the Sweet Home and Al and Rose Pastor Tournaments earlier this season.

“It was probably the best quarter of high school basketball offensively and defensively that I’ve seen Sacred Heart kids play,” said Pares. “It was amazing. They were setting screens, going to the basket and doing everything right. Everybody who played communicated with one another when they saw openings and talked with each other on the court. I was a very happy camper.”

Tournament MVP Krystal Watson scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in about 10 minutes of work. Katie Keller added 10 points for the Sharks, who led 32-11 by halftime.

Sacred Heart beat Holy Angels, 54-28, in the first round last Wednesday. They led, 29-15, at halftime. Meaghan Daley led the Sharks with 14 points.

Gina Ricotta was named to the all-tournament team.

The Sharks open the league portion of their schedule at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Mount St. Mary’s at the Villa Maria Athletic Center, Sacred Heart’s new home for games and practices.

“What we set the preseason up to do was for everyone to get used to each other,” said Pares. “For a lot of these kids, it’s all new. Defensively, we were fine. Offensively, it takes much longer when you got new kids, especially the timing with one another.”

Sharks center Liz Subjeck, who is out with a badly sprained ankle, is off crutches and should return in a few weeks, Pares added.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com